The Todd English Food Hall at The Plaza

I’m no stranger to food halls. Europe has fantastic ones like Galerie Lafayette in Paris, Stockmann’s in Helsinki, KaDeWe in Berlin and Harrods in London. They are like an upscale cafeteria with gourmet eats and I like that you can quench your cravings with a variety of small plates from around the world. So I was excited when The Plaza Hotel invited me to check out the Todd English Food Hall.

I had an idea of what to expect from my food hall experiences throughout Europe. Typically you pick up a tray and you can choose from a variety of stations offering different cuisines. Sometimes there is a cash register at each station and you pay like you’re visiting a bunch of different restaurants under one roof.

We toured by a variety of the stations as the host guided us to our table. I’ve written about how I wanted to be a chef at one point, so I always love show kitchens and watching the chefs prepare art on a plate. Each station has bar seating, so you can sit and watch at your favorite one.

There’s a menu with all of the selections available from the various stations. The only problem is choosing from all the delicious sounding items available.

Our conversation over the menu went something like:

“Ooh, lobster mac and cheese.”

“I haven’t had tacos in ages. Chicken or steak?”

“Dumplings! We must have dumplings!”

Thankfully our server had some wonderful suggestions and you’re invited to get up and go check out what’s happening at each station. I like seeing what other diners are ordering and what looks as good as it sounds.

The wine selection is also excellent with a variety of reds and whites from around the world. There are also some specialty cocktails and beer available if wine isn’t your thing.

Our server brought each of our menu selections one by one, giving us plenty of time to enjoy each dish while it was freshly made.

Baby kale salad

We started with a baby kale salad. I know, I know. It sounds a bit boring to come to a food hall and order salad, but this was an excellent starter. It had toasted hazelnuts, cranberries and apples. Pretty much Fall on a plate with a spicy kick from the vinaigrette.

Chicken and ginger dumplings with lemongrass pesto

I love dumplings and lemongrass, so couldn’t resist an order of the chicken and ginger dumplings with lemongrass pesto. They were even better tasting than their description on the menu made them sound.

Peking Duck Buns

Next, Peking duck buns arrived. They were like mini tacos with the duck, hoisin sauce, scallions and carrots inside of steamed lotus buns.

I can never resist lobster and the Todd English Food Hall has no shortage of it on the menu. It was tough to choose between the lobster guacamole, lobster mac and cheese, a lobster cocktail…I can’t even recall all the ways you could enjoy lobster.

Lobster sliders with buttered buns, aioli and a touch of fresh mint

At our server’s suggestion, we went with the lobster sliders. They were basically mini lobster rolls on buttery slider buns with a bit of mint mixed in to the chunks of lobster. So good I didn’t want to share!

A variety of macarons

I had every intention of skipping dessert, but it was like our server knew the way to my heart. “We have macarons,” he told me. Well, if you’re going to twist my arm with macarons…

You might even meet Todd English himself. He pops in regularly to check up on his restaurant and he happened to be there on our visit. He was out and about the whole time checking in with guests and ensuring everyone was having a great time.

The Plaza Hotel is a New York institution and the Todd English Food Hall is a great way to enjoy a visit there. It’s upscale, yet casual enough that you can pop in after a day of touring the city and not feel undressed. There are selections to please even the pickiest of eaters. And the portions are perfect for sharing a bunch of plates between friends. Definitely a must when visiting New York City.

Know Before You Go

Todd English Food Hall

Todd English Food Hall is open 10am – 10pm daily. Reservations are recommended. Dress is smart casual. There is also a brunch menu available on weekends and the full menu is available online.

Our meal at Todd English Food Hall was provided by The Plaza Hotel in order to bring you this story. However, Luxe Adventure Traveler maintains full editorial control of the content published on this site. As always, all thoughts, opinions, and enthusiasm for travel are entirely our own.

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About Jennifer Dombrowski

Jennifer Dombrowski is an independent travel publisher and an American expat who has lived in Bordeaux, France since 2016. She previously lived in Northern Italy in a small village near Venice for seven years where she fell in love with wine and wine tourism. She is an award-winning travel writer. She is also a travel correspondent on Traveling on the American Forces Radio Network. Luxe Adventure Traveler was named one of the top travel blogs to watch by the Huffington Post and TripAdvisor, and has been featured by top publications such as National Geographic, CNN, Buzzfeed, and Business Insider. Jennifer's photography has also been featured on publications such as USA Today and Travel + Leisure and on the Travel Channel.

Comments

Goodness gracious, you had me at “mac & cheese, tacos, and dumplings.” Dang, this is quite a spread! Todd English has never entered my radar when I head up to New York. This would be such a great spot to end a day, though. Thanks for highlighting it! Adding another one of your suggestions to the list. 🙂

OMG. I always get lost taking photos in food hall and then can never decide on what to eat … it all looks so good! Chicken and ginger dumplings with lemongrass pesto — WOW! Pete and I will have to visit next time we’re in NYC!

You would love this place, Rachelle! And the whole food hall is a show kitchen. A waiter takes your order from the menu, but if you have questions you can ask the chefs at each station or you can sit at the bar at each station and watch as your meal is prepared.

Well, I’m in New York City quite often, so this is a great resource to know about!! It’s awesome that you can choose from so many options. And hey, I’m happy to hear that Harrod’s has one too as I’m headed to London soon and staying near Harrods!

I”m not familiar with a food hall, but now I think I need to make a point of locating and visiting a few (with this one first on my list). Those Peking duck buns and those lobster rolls look out of this world!

I am a fan of his and will definitely be looking forward to putting that on my list of things to do on my next visit to NYC. It all looks delicious that it will be hard to choose. Thanks for the info Jen!

Meet Jennifer & Tim

We’re Jennifer and Tim. We’re professional travel writers and photographers who love adventure and wine, so we often try to combine the two. By day, you’ll find us out on some crazy adventure like snorkeling in Iceland in winter or on a long distance hut-to-hut hike in the Dolomites, but by night, we’re creatures of comfort. If you’re looking for a travel blog about a long-term around-the-world journey, how to travel on $50 a day or less or traveling with kids, Luxe Adventure Traveler isn’t it. Our award-winning travel blog is all about heart pumping adventures, world class accommodations and luxury experiences. Read more...

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